Timeout functions are required in many applications, such as delayed reset functions. The timeout functions can be implemented by various means including pure analog means or combinations of analog and digital means. The analog implementations often require the charging and/or discharging of a capacitor that is compared against a voltage reference using a comparator. Conventional circuits typically use off-chip capacitors that are in the nanofarad range and large on-chip resistors in the megaohms range to provide timeout periods in the milliseconds range.
An appreciation of the present invention and its improvements can be obtained by reference to the accompanying drawings that are briefly summarized below, to the following detailed description of illustrated embodiments of the invention, and to the appended claims.